Life In Recovery: No More Hospital

I started Life In Recovery with the sole aim to help people find hope and help if they (or their loved ones) were struggling with a long-term illness. I have been quite careful (and conscious) that I use my own experiences to that end, while not making this corner of the internet about me. That is why I have never said my name, nor shared a lot of intimate detail about my past, present or future life; I have always felt that would get in the way of providing help and hope, and it isn't something I find comfortable. However, there have been times when I have shared some of my more personal moments; for example, my anniversary posts (check out year one, year two, year three, and year four if you've missed them). This week marked another big moment in my recovery, and I wanted to share some of the words I wrote to friends and family members on here too - as you, and this blog, have also been part of the story.

"I bet you all thought you'd got away without another of these streams of consciousness until my next anniversary post in August, but no...

Today marks a big moment in my recovery; my last hospital appointment. I told my doctor I felt I was ready to stop attending appointments back in May, and it's taken eight months to get to this point. After years of meetings and treatment since my discharge as an inpatient in August 2013, to say that the relationship my doctor and I built during the past four years (a momentous period of my life) became a very important one, is an understatement. Finishing that chapter, and leaving that relationship, has been a big step; but one that I chose and feel ready for. Today I said goodbye to my doctor (with smiles, tears and big hugs), today I was able to try and thank my doctor, today I moved into a new phase of my life, today I reflected on how far I've come and today I was made to realise just how far that is. If you're reading this, it means you've been part of the story so far (even if it's just been in the last chapter, or the latest page), and it means you'll be part of the rest of my onward (and hospital-less) life. For that I thank you, and I'm so excited to see where life takes us all. It's been an incredibly emotional day; I've been through stacks of tissues...but now it's time to dry my eyes and look forward. Anyway, here ends the thought-vomit, it just leaves me to say how grateful I feel to be where I am in my life, and to say a very heartfelt and extra-special thank you to those of you who helped me get here - I couldn't have done it without you. "

This is how I felt on Wednesday afternoon. I do, however, want to write up how I am feeling now - a couple of days later - and also see how I feel in a couple of weeks, so there will be another blog post on that in the next month or so. 

Also, keep your eyes out for a separate piece coming very soon about how I said goodbye to that doctor/patient relationship and my thoughts on how important that relationship can be...

Have their been therapeutic relationships you've found hard to let go?

How to get in touch (and all that social media stuff)

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Top Health Apps and Trackers

“I have been and still am a seeker, but I have ceased to question stars and books; I have begun to listen to the teaching my blood whispers to me.” – Herman Hesse

March In Review video

Apps:

C25K

Runkeeper

Strava

Sworkit

Breathing Zone (on iTunes) 

Breathing Zone (on Android)

Headspace

Period Tracker (on Android)

Period Tracker (on iTunes)

Lifesum

Other useful wellbeing videos from Life In Recovery:

Nutrition

Sleep

Getting active after being bedbound

Gym workouts


Do you use health trackers or apps? Technophobe or tech-lover? What are some of your favourites?


How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life

Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/

Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life

Anniversary - three years on from hospital...

So...it's 5th August and that means *drum roll* it's time for another emotional/personal post marking my (this time) THREE year anniversary after being discharged from hospital.

I will start this post with the same preface as the last two years "I have just written a 'status update' on my personal Facebook page to my friends and it occurred to me that I also want to say thank you to all of YOU. So I'm going to paste in what I wrote word-for-word on here. 
This isn't something I thought I would ever feel comfortable doing. I try to keep Life In Recovery and my personal life reasonably separate. Not because I am ashamed of the blog but because I think it works better if I don't use this as a platform to air my private life and that I use my past and present experiences in a constructive way to help others who may be struggling. That won't be changing.Keeping this blog, creating videos and posting little (or a lotta) bits on Twitter has been an absolutely wonderful experience. I hope to continue the work I have only just started and love interacting and discovering all of you 'out there.' This is why I felt it was relevant to post the message I sent to my friends and family to you all as well."

For the full effect (and for the new readers amongst you) you can read my first year anniversary post here and my second here.

Here we go:

"WARNING – another of my soppy anniversary posts (read: essays). Today is August 5^th, and marks three years since I was discharged from hospital.

This year the anniversary feels quite a different beast to the last two years. It crept up on me, for a start. I completely forgot about it until I was on my way into work yesterday and panicked that I’d somehow missed it. Personally, I think this is a great sign; a sign that I am starting to feel more space between me and the years I spent unwell. A ‘healthy’ space. A space that means I feel I am not completely defined by a decade-plus of illness. A space that feels good.

This past year has been another roller-coaster of a ride. Yes, I still have to be careful. Yes, I’m still finding my way. No, I won’t forget what happened or pretend it didn’t. No, I won’t take things for granted. This year there have been tears and triumphs. Things to grieve over, and things to rejoice about. Things I have done for the first time, and things I have done for the last. There have been people I have said goodbye to, and many people I have met for the first time. We have worked, we have played, we have studied and we have lived. For all these things and so many more, I am grateful.

On this day, three years ago I woke with the knowledge that a new and exciting chapter of life was just beginning. Three years later, I woke up this morning with the same knowledge.

Sitting here typing this (fairly un-edited stream of consciousness) with tears running down my face – I am completely at a loss to express how much I (still) feel about the last few years and the time I was unwell. I have so many of you to thank. So many of you who helped me reach where I am today. So many who are helping me discover just how incredible and exhilarating life can be.

A year of milestones, surprises, new beginnings, goodbyes, change, love, laughter, tears, family, new and old friends. A year of growing, learning and maturing. A year you have all been part of. And for that I am very lucky.

I will quote my post from last year, “To the friends and family who have seen up close the changes these past couple of years have brought and who've been there with a solid shoulder, a helping hand, a beaming smile or a thumbs up - thank you”.

Life. Is. Good."

What anniversaries do you mark? Are you a fan of reflecting on milestones or key moments of your life?

How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life

Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/

Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life

Anniversary - two years on from hospital...

This time last year I uploaded a post that I had written on my personal Facebook page to mark the one year anniversary of leaving hospital. I wrote a pre-cursor to this saying:
"I have just written a 'status update' on my personal Facebook page to my friends and it occurred to me that I also want to say thank you to all of YOU. So I'm going to paste in what I wrote word-for-word on here. 
This isn't something I thought I would ever feel comfortable doing. I try to keep Life In Recovery and my personal life reasonably separate. Not because I am ashamed of the blog but because I think it works better if I don't use this as a platform to air my private life and that I use my past and present experiences in a constructive way to help others who may be struggling. That won't be changing.
Keeping this blog, creating videos and posting little (or a lotta) bits on Twitter has been an absolutely wonderful experience. I hope to continue the work I have only just started and love interacting and discovering all of you 'out there.' This is why I felt it was relevant to post the message I sent to my friends and family to you all as well."

You can read last years full post here in all it's gushy glory!

I am not going to re-word that pre-cursor for this year, as I think it sums up exactly how I feel now. Again, this is not something I would usually do (or feel comfortable with) but it does seem very appropriate and something I want to share on this platform. 

So, for a second year running, here goes...

"Some of you may know that today marks a significant anniversary for me. Today - August 5th - marks two years since I was discharged from hospital. (And no, don't worry...I'm not going to be doing this every year..!)

Last year I wrote about how thankful, amazed and appreciative I was to have a chance to live a happy and full life. Nothing about that has changed. Except maybe that I am more sure, more certain and more definite that that 'chance' is now more of a certainty - I am living, and will continue to live, that happy and full life thanks to so many people.

If I thought that first year out of hospital was an eventful and momentous one then I was unprepared for this year! I have no words left to describe how this second year has been. It has been indescribably *more* than I ever expected.

I don't want to bleat on about each individual milestone or experience...you were probably witness to a lot of those anyway! What I do want to say is that the last year was one of the best years of my life. That's not to say that it was perfect and it has had it's rocky patches, but that only makes the year all the more real and true. Those difficult times have taught me a lot, both about myself and others, and they have made the countless wonderful and overwhelmingly positive times so much more authentic. At times I have been unable to contain my excitement and happiness about everything that has happened this year. I have often had to pinch myself and I continue to be amazed and humbled by all the loveliness!

Just as I did last time, I want to thank you all for your friendship, support and for the shared experiences we have had together. I have met lots of amazing people this year who, along with the lovely people who read my post last year, have added so much to this year.

To the friends and family who have seen up close the changes these past couple of years have brought and who've been there with a solid shoulder, a helping hand, a beaming smile or a thumbs up - thank you.

I think the phrase 'wonderful and overwhelmingly positive' pretty much sums up the year. I'm so excited and curious to see what this next year will bring us all."

How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life
Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/
Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life

Drugs and Medication: It's re-think time!

I got an email from a lovely lady called Judy from The American Recall Center asking if I would like to contribute a blog post to help raise awareness about the importance of drug safety. The reason they wanted a post is because this week (January 26th - 31st) is National Drug Facts Week. 
As I believe strongly in being as informed as possible about medications and drug therapies I thought it seemed like a great opportunity to join the conversation and write a piece for National Drug Facts Week. Thank you to Judy for bringing this to my attention (and thinking of my blog!) and also for providing the informative pictures included below.

This is going to sound like a silly statement to make but I'm going to make it anyway...It's really important to understand what the medication you're taking is, why exactly you're on it and what it aims to do for you.

So many of us are now on some kind of prescriptive medication or taking over-the-counter drugs.

In western society we 'pop' pills like they're Tic Tacs, often with no thought to what the medications are really for, what prolonged use of them can mean or whether they're actually solving the problem.

I'm not trying to scare-monger, nor am I advocating ditching medications. Far from it. Many conditions require the use of drugs to control or lessen symptoms. There's no disputing that. I myself have, over the years, needed a cocktail of drugs to manage symptoms and try to 'cure' my ill health.

However, there's also no disputing the fact that a lot of the time we may not fully grasp the impact that taking prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medications has on our psyches and our bodies.

All I'm aiming to do with this short post is to highlight the need for us all to be a little more selective and careful when adopting new drugs or medication regimes. 

Ask your doctor or pharmacist if there is anything you can do that will compliment or support your health, without the sole help of medication or even before you try taking medication.

Would a more holistic approach to well-being not reduce the amount of unnecessary antibiotics, antidepressants, sleeping pills etc. that are prescribed?

An holistic approach could involve looking at the underlying cause for repeated infections, insomnia, low mood etc. I believe that the stresses and strains of modern life can make us more susceptible to becoming run-down. 

Some doctors fail to grasp the need to ask questions of their patients, to be more sensitive to their needs and to have empathy with their ills and ailments. Those few extra minutes of concern and care may alleviate the patient's worries and address their concerns. This could help set about a positive chain of results, rather than ending up with the patient clutching a sheaf of prescriptions for unnecessary drugs, which may end up masking the main problem.

It's not necessarily a simple solution as it would involve a rather radical re-think in mainstream medicine. However, I believe it's an achievable and important solution to an endemic problem.

Let's start seeing, hearing and treating people as a whole.

How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life
Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/
Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life

Anniversary - One year on from hospital....

I have just written a 'status update' on my personal Facebook page to my friends and it occurred to me that I also want to say thank you to all of YOU. So I'm going to paste in what I wrote word-for-word on here.
This isn't something I thought I would ever feel comfortable doing. I try to keep Life In Recovery and my personal life reasonably separate. Not because I am ashamed of the blog but because I think it works better if I don't use this as a platform to air my private life and that I use my past and present experiences in a constructive way to help others who may be struggling. That won't be changing.

Keeping this blog, creating videos and posting little (or a lotta) bits on Twitter has been an absolutely wonderful experience. I hope to continue the work I have only just started and love interacting and discovering all of you 'out there.' This is why I felt it was relevant to post the message I sent to my friends and family to you all as well.

So here goes...

I don't normally do this on FB but it's a handy way to reach a lot of you all at once!

Some of you will already be aware of the significance of today's date to me but for those who aren't...Today (August 5th) marks exactly one year since I was discharged from hospital!

Words can't express how wonderful and incredible the last year has been. To be able to be writing this at all is mind-blowing!

I can't say thank you enough to those of you who helped me through the tough (!) times for so many years. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I wouldn't be here today without you. Your ongoing friendship means the world to me.

To the friends I've met more recently I also wish to thank you hugely. Your support, understanding and most of all your inclusion of me in your lives has been so amazing and life-enhancing.

I thought about how I wanted to mark today and decided very quickly that I wanted to go back to the hospital I was last in. So today I am off to pay a visit to the unit I spent my last few inpatient months in. Taking along a HUGE home-baked carrot cake, lots of tissues and a sack full of gratitude and news! I'm going to spend a couple of hours seeing some of the doctors and nurses who have made such an impact in my life and I’ll also be able to tell them that properly face-to-face.

Going back today will also be a chance to reflect on and try to digest the enormity of the past year and just be able to reflect on how much has changed for the better. The past year has been full of firsts (and seconds and thirds…) and it's been a roller-coaster ride of epic proportions to say the least.

I wish I could convey to you all how much I appreciate and value your presence. Sharing this new chapter in my life and revelling in the real chance of a happy, healthy and full life is the best I can do to show this. I know how lucky I am to have such excellent family and friends.

Here's to another blockbuster of a year!

With love, thanks and amazement.

How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life
Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/
Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life

I'm hosting a Twitter Talk for Health Activists!

I have been asked to guest host a Twitter Talk for Health Activists by WEGO Health. The Twitter Talk will tale place for an hour between 3pm-4pm EST and 8pm-9pm BST on Tuesday 24th June 2014.
I have created a list of questions that I hope everyone will find thought-provoking and will hopefully stimulate some good conversations between us all. The questions will be listed below so you can have a sneaky preview to get those 'little grey cells' and fingers ready to go this Tuesday.

If you are unsure what a Twitter Talk is then I'll try to explain what they're all about. Twitter Talks or Twitter Tweet Chats are conversations that have an allocated hashtag (HT, #) that helps link and group all the messages being sent, questions and answers. They usually take place at a prearranged time and sometimes have an agenda or list of questions to help engage and promote conversations between participants.


Come and join me (and many more) on Tuesday at 3pm EST/8pm BST


 

 

Questions for #HAChat Twitter Talk:

 

 

1.       What's the one thing you would like to change most about how medics have dealt/deal with your health condition?

            What do you think the most important attribute a medic ought to possess?

 

What is the most destructive/disappointing/upsetting attribute a medic can possess?

2.       What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given that has helped you cope with your illness?

What is some good/valuable advice you might give someone with a similar condition to you?

Do you feel it is important to you to share advice and support to other sufferer’s?

3.       Do you consider yourself 'ill'? Why/Why not?

Do people’s attitudes/opinions of and towards your health have an impact on your overall condition?

 

How do you cope with stigmas or judgements that might be made? 

4.       Do you struggle with keeping hope and positivity alive?

Do you have strategies for this?

If so, what are they?

 

5.       Do you make sure that you devote equal amounts of energy on 'feeding' your 'soul/spirit' and other interests?

 

            If not – why not?

 

If so does this cause difficulties/guilt/concern that you’re not focusing on ‘trying to get better’ or ‘managing your condition’?

Who are WEGO Health?

WEGO Health is a different kind of social network, built from the ground up for the community leaders, bloggers and tweeters who are actively involved in health online. WEGO Health is a platform for committed health advocates to foster new relationships, gain access to helpful resources, and to grow their communities.
If you'd like to read more about WEGO Health then click the following link to go to their website www.wegohealth.com which contains a whole host of exciting and interesting information and lots of opportunities to flex your health activism muscles.

I really hope you manage to join me and many others for this weeks Health Activist's Twitter Chat at 3pm EST/8pm BST.

How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life
Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/
Email - lifeinrecovery@mail.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life